Alberta
Watch: Provincial Review Panel tees off on Supervised Consumption Sites
From The Province of Alberta
Impact of supervised consumption sites report released
The final report of the expert-led Supervised Consumption Services Review Committee is now available online.
The Supervised Consumption Services Review Committee listened to more than 19,000 Albertans’ concerns about the impacts supervised consumption services (SCS) sites are having on their homes, businesses and neighbourhoods.
The final report contains the committee’s findings regarding needle debris, social disorder, public safety and other concerns. The committee found serious problems with supervised consumption services as they are currently being operated, and provided thoughtful considerations for improving services and community safety, while building a comprehensive recovery-oriented system of care that offers the greatest chance to lift vulnerable Albertans with addiction out of their current plight.
“This report is a wake-up call for Alberta. Every one of us deserves to feel safe in our communities, and every Albertan struggling with addiction should be able to access the supports they need. We will consider this report, and all other relevant evidence, as we develop a comprehensive, long-term approach that works. That means improving addiction treatment services and supports to create a full continuum of care across the province.”
“Crime grows in areas where illegal drug use is on the rise. Our government supports a firm justice system that includes investigating, disrupting and dismantling the organized crime groups that supply and sell illegal drugs that fuel addiction, ruin people’s lives and take a terrible toll on our communities. We’ll continue to ensure law enforcement and the justice system have the tools and resources to protect community safety.
“Thank you to all Albertans who participated in this process. Our committee was given a mandate to hear from people across the province on all sides of this important issue. The findings in this report demonstrate the compassion many Albertans feel for their neighbours and their commitment to creating safe, welcoming communities for everyone.”
“Our committee heard from thousands of passionate Albertans, and reviewed a wide range of data and evidence sources to examine what impact these services are having on the communities around them. The findings may be difficult for some to hear, but are vital to improving the health and well-being of those who use the sites and those who live in surrounding neighbourhoods.”
Key findings from the report include:
- Increased needle debris and deteriorating public safety around the sites were significant concerns raised during the town halls, through the surveys and in stakeholder meetings.
- While there were no deaths recorded among people at the SCS sites, death rates in the immediate vicinity of the sites after the sites opened continued to increase along with province-wide rates of opioid deaths.
- Opioid-related calls for emergency medical services also increased in the immediate vicinity following the opening of the sites.
- Many people indicated they felt less safe in the areas surrounding the SCS sites after they opened.
- Lack of focus on referrals to detoxification and treatment resources.
- Inconsistent and often inaccurate classification of “overdose reversals.”
- Substantial increases in the use of non-opioid substance use, specifically methamphetamines, leading to aggressive behaviour endangering public safety.
Over the coming months, the government will consider changes to supervised consumption services and other addiction treatment and recovery resources, on a city-by-city basis.
Quick facts
- The eight-member committee included First Nations people, experts in addiction and recovery, harm reduction, mental health, trauma, pain management, law enforcement, crime reduction and justice, as well as people with lived experience.
- 16,831 individuals and 440 businesses submitted feedback to the committee through an online survey.
- About 1,800 people attended the town halls in Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Grande Prairie.
- More than 500 first responders and more than 50 stakeholder groups provided evidence and shared concerns with the committee.
Premier Danielle Smith issued the following statement on the April 2, 2025 U.S. tariff announcement:
“Today was an important win for Canada and Alberta, as it appears the United States has decided to uphold the majority of the free trade agreement (CUSMA) between our two nations. It also appears this will continue to be the case until after the Canadian federal election has concluded and the newly elected Canadian government is able to renegotiate CUSMA with the U.S. administration.
“This is precisely what I have been advocating for from the U.S. administration for months.
“It means that the majority of goods sold into the United States from Canada will have no tariffs applied to them, including zero per cent tariffs on energy, minerals, agricultural products, uranium, seafood, potash and host of other Canadian goods.
“There is still work to be done, of course. Unfortunately, tariffs previously announced by the United States on Canadian automobiles, steel and aluminum have not been removed. The efforts of premiers and the federal government should therefore shift towards removing or significantly reducing these remaining tariffs as we go forward and ensuring affected workers across Canada are generously supported until the situation is resolved.
“I again call on all involved in our national advocacy efforts to focus on diplomacy and persuasion while avoiding unnecessary escalation. Clearly, this strategy has been the most effective to this point.
“As it appears the worst of this tariff dispute is behind us (though there is still work to be done), it is my sincere hope that we, as Canadians, can abandon the disastrous policies that have made Canada vulnerable to and overly dependent on the United States, fast-track national resource corridors, get out of the way of provincial resource development and turn our country into an independent economic juggernaut and energy superpower.”
From the Fraser Institute
By any measure, Alberta is an energy powerhouse—within Canada, but also on a global scale. In 2023, it produced 85 per cent of Canada’s oil and three-fifths of the country’s natural gas. Most of Canada’s oil reserves are in Alberta, along with a majority of natural gas reserves. Alberta is the beating heart of the Canadian energy economy. And energy, in turn, accounts for one-quarter of Canada’s international exports.
Consider some key facts about the province’s energy landscape, as noted in the Alberta Energy Regulator’s (AER) 2023 annual report. Oil and natural gas production continued to rise (on a volume basis) in 2023, on the heels of steady increases over the preceding half decade. However, the dollar value of Alberta’s oil and gas production fell in 2023, as the surging prices recorded in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine retreated. Capital spending in the province’s energy sector reached $30 billion in 2023, making it the leading driver of private-sector investment. And completion of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project has opened new offshore export avenues for Canada’s oil industry and should boost Alberta’s energy production and exports going forward.
In a world striving to address climate change, Alberta’s hydrocarbon-heavy energy sector faces challenges. At some point, the world may start to consume less oil and, later, less natural gas (in absolute terms). But such “peak” consumption hasn’t arrived yet, nor does it appear imminent. While the demand for certain refined petroleum products is trending down in some advanced economies, particularly in Europe, we should take a broader global perspective when assessing energy demand and supply trends.
Looking at the worldwide picture, Goldman Sachs’ 2024 global energy forecast predicts that “oil usage will increase through 2034” thanks to strong demand in emerging markets and growing production of petrochemicals that depend on oil as the principal feedstock. Global demand for natural gas (including LNG) will also continue to increase, particularly since natural gas is the least carbon-intensive fossil fuel and more of it is being traded in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Against this backdrop, there are reasons to be optimistic about the prospects for Alberta’s energy sector, particularly if the federal government dials back some of the economically destructive energy and climate policies adopted by the last government. According to the AER’s “base case” forecast, overall energy output will expand over the next 10 years. Oilsands output is projected to grow modestly; natural gas production will also rise, in part due to greater demand for Alberta’s upstream gas from LNG operators in British Columbia.
The AER’s forecast also points to a positive trajectory for capital spending across the province’s energy sector. The agency sees annual investment rising from almost $30 billion to $40 billion by 2033. Most of this takes place in the oil and gas industry, but “emerging” energy resources and projects aimed at climate mitigation are expected to represent a bigger slice of energy-related capital spending going forward.
Like many other oil and gas producing jurisdictions, Alberta must navigate the bumpy journey to a lower-carbon future. But the world is set to remain dependent on fossil fuels for decades to come. This suggests the energy sector will continue to underpin not only the Alberta economy but also Canada’s export portfolio for the foreseeable future.
Jock Finlayson
Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute
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